Good Thrifting

I've been collecting bits and pieces here and there since the last post I did about my thrift store finds, so I figured it was time to share.

One day, I got this great haul:

Four Pyrex refrigerator dishes, in the Butterprint pattern, mint condition with lids!
Butter dish - "Nordic" pattern by Syracuse
Cool plate - "Windblown" by Salem
Cute elephants - for my growing collection. I just keep finding them, and elephants are such amazing animals, I can't help myself.
Pyrex juice carafe in the "Butterfly Gold" pattern

From other stores, other days....

Got these starburst Miramar Melmac dessert plates, aqua and gold


The coolest little "Thermo-Serv" insulated pitcher, in aqua. Tragedy, though - the clerk dropped it when he was ringing me up, and now it's got a big crack. Oh well, he did give it to me for free.


Pyrex casserole, in the aqua Snowflake pattern I love.


These beautiful vintage wall sconces for $1.50 each!

Vote For Real Style!

A few examples of Rejuvenation's Modern lighting and hardware collections:

Love the Boomerang cabinet handles!

If you're not already aware of it, Rejuvenation is having a big contest with a big prize. I first found out about it on RetroRenovation (Goddess Pam's blog), and then two of my favorite bloggers entered their homes. What to do? I was really in a pickle. I love both of their houses and what they have done with them.

Today, Morgan of The Brick House came out with the funniest post here. She was amazed and saddened by the "style" of homes that were getting lots more votes than her entry of her living and dining rooms, so she ranted a bit.

I love reading her blog, because she just calls it as she sees it and has complete confidence in her own taste. She's a bit of a potty-mouth, so those of you who take offense to such things...oh well! Well, her readers rallied and voted, and so far she has doubled her votes from this morning. Ain't blogging cool!

My other blog-friend Gretchen of Eichler Homes in Sacramento entered her amazing front entryway and living room.

She describes her house as half-Flinstones, half-Jetsons and it is sooo mid-century cool! She and her husband own this house AND an Eichler that they are renovating - how lucky are they??!!

Please, if you haven't already voted in this contest, go and check out these two wonderful women's entries and cast your vote. We need to out-vote the bland, Home-Depot-esque, "Housewives of the O.C." remodels and vote for hip, retro, modern, cool, STYLE!

I ended up voting for Morgan, because she is a fellow poor chick struggling to have a fab home on a low budget, her posts always make me laugh or get all envious....and she lives in the high desert, where I only lasted a year! If I figure out how to vote more than once, I'll give Gretchen my vote too :)

The Living Room

Finally got the living room clean enough to photograph. This is from last night after
my sister Margaret spent the day helping me declutter, vacuum, and rearrange.
On the left is the piano that's been in my family since I was about 6 years old. My
siblings and I all learned to play on it, and now my daughters are enjoying it.
I would love to learn more about the furniture I acquired free (again, thanks to Margaret!). The sofa is not shown (yet), but the two brown chairs and the green lounge chair (minus its footstool, which is in the garage awaiting post-moving repairs) are part of this set. The story that came with them was that they were bought in Denmark in the 1960s by the owners of the mountain getaway cabin where I got them. I believe they have their original upholstery. The rocking chair was another freebie and is going to be spectacular someday when I can afford to get it reupholstered. The square table, standing in for a coffee table, is teak, I think. The rust-colored carpet is protecting the original hardwood floors, which we plan to uncover in the future. The small telephone table holding the lamp was my Grandma's. I have to get some close-ups of the various pieces of furniture and decorative items - that lamp is amazing (but you can't see it well here).

The fireplace by the front door. It has a built-in cabinet at a right angle, forming a sort of
entryway. We use it for shoes and outgoing items. The fireplace is gas/woodburning, brick with a black slate hearth. The tiles across the top are just perched there as an experiment to see if it would be a good idea to affix them permanently. More on them later. The clock and artwork deserve close-ups and details in another post.








Crewel-work by my Grandma, recently framed with an unused vintage frame I found for
50 cents at a thrift store. I got the wall sconce on ebay, and the aqua phone at an antique
store's parking lot sale in Yucca Valley for 8 bucks! Our fish live on the counter below.
I like how you can see the original phone number!